interactive science notebooks in the secondary …

INTERACTIVE SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS IN THE SECONDARY CHEMISTRY

CLASSROOM

by

Alison Paige Dupuis

A professional paper submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree

of

Master of Science

in

Science Education

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bozeman, Montana

July 2017

©COPYRIGHT

by

Alison Paige Dupuis

2017

All Rights Reserved

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, and most importantly, I am grateful for my students. They completed surveys

and interviews with true honesty. Their classroom completely changed around them from one

day to the next, but they adapted to the change with patience and grace. Secondly, I am

thankful for all of my amazing coworkers at Bell City High School. I never would have

completed this project without them cheering me on. Third, I am very grateful for my family.

I couldn’t have made it through this program without their support. Finally, all my professors

and classmates in the MSSE program. They were the best sounding board and support

system that I could have hoped for.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ..................................................................1

2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................2

3. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................10

4. DATA AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................................16

5. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION ...............................................................28

6. VALUE ........................................................................................................................32

REFERENCES CITED ......................................................................................................36

APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................38

APPENDIX A IRB Approval ................................................................................39

APPENDIX B Exemption Regarding Informed Consent ......................................41

APPENDIX C Periodic Trends Pre- and Post-Test ...............................................43

APPENDIX D Chemical Names and Formulas Pre- and Post-Test ......................47

APPENDIX E Interactive Science Notebook Survey ............................................50

APPENDIX F Interview Questions .......................................................................53

APPENDIX G Rubric for Interactive Science Notebook Assessment ..................55

APPENDIX H Chemical Quantities Pre- and Post-Test........................................57

APPENDIX I Chemical Reactions Pre- and Post-Test ..........................................62

APPENDIX J Stoichiometry Pre- and Post-Test ...................................................67

iv

LIST OF TABLES

1. Data Triangulation Matrix ...........................................................................................16

v

LIST OF FIGURES

1. Periodic Trends Pre- and Post-Test Score Distributions..............................................17

2. Chemical Names and Formulas Pre- and Post-Test Score Distributions .....................18

3. Chemical Quantities Pre- and Post-Test Score Distributions ......................................20

4. Chemical Reactions Pre- and Post-Test Score Distributions .......................................20

5. Stoichiometry Pre- and Post-Test Score Distributions ................................................21

6. Survey Question, “I feel like I am good at science” ....................................................22

7. Survey Question, “I like using interactive science notebooks” ...................................23

8. Survey Question, “I feel that I learn better using interactive science notebooks” .......24

9. Survey Question, “I want to be told how to organize my class materials” ..................25

10. Survey Question, “I like choosing my own way of taking notes” ...............................26

11. Survey Question, “I feel that I learn better when I choose how to organize

my class materials” ......................................................................................................26

12. Weekly ISN scores using Rubric for Interactive Science Notebook Assessment” .....27

vi

ABSTRACT

Interactive science notebooks are a popular tool in many science classrooms across

the country. However, each teacher should evaluate carefully if interactive science notebooks

are the right choice for his or her classroom. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the

effectiveness of interactive science notebooks in one science classroom as well as student

opinions on the use of interactive science notebooks. The interactive science notebooks were

implemented for two and a half months. Also, students were surveyed and interviewed before

and after the implementation of the interactive science notebooks. The results were then

compared to the traditional classroom model that was used previously. It was determined that

the students liked the interactive science notebooks. They also had a positive effect on

classroom achievement as pre- and post-test results were highly consistent throughout the use

of the interactive science notebooks. This consistency was not seen with the traditional

classroom model.

1

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Bell City High School is a pre-K to 12 school of 715 students located in an

unincorporated area in rural southwestern Louisiana. The student population is 90.5%

Caucasian, 5% Hispanic, 3.8% African American, and 0.7% other ethnicities (R.S.

Nunez, personal communication, February 6, 2017). I have taught at Bell City High since

graduating from college with my bachelor’s degree in 2012. Currently, I teach four

subjects, including Biology II, chemistry, physical science, and physics. I typically teach

between 85-100 students per year. My average class size tends to fall around 16, but I

have had classes as small as 3 students and as large as 27 students.

Although I teach in a small school, the district is much larger. Calcasieu Parish

School Board has 13 high schools and over 32,000 students in grades pre-K to 12

(“Calcasieu Parish School Board Quick Facts”, n.d.). Each August, the high school

teachers begin the year by meeting in groups according to the subject area they teach. At

the in-service that started the 2015-2016 school year, the science department was given a

brief presentation on resources available regarding interactive science notebooks (ISN).

We were encouraged to try the notebooks in our classrooms. I was left intrigued, but

skeptical, as no evidence of the effectiveness of ISNs was included. After this

presentation, several colleagues from multiple schools attempted to integrate ISNs over

the following school year. As I found out at various meetings during the school year, they

experienced varying degrees of success.

Throughout that year while others were utilizing ISNs, I maintained my current

approach of allowing my students to determine for themselves how to keep track of their

2

notes and work. Students used a variety of methods including binders, folders, and

notebooks; some even used nothing at all. However, my curiosity regarding the ISN

remained. I made the decision to attempt the use of ISN in my own classroom. I chose

my chemistry courses for this trial because, apart from transfer students, I was already

familiar with the students in this course. When I previously taught many of them physical

science, I noticed that this group of students could use help with organizational skills.

As a direct result of these events and observations, in addition to conferring with

my supervisors, I composed the following focus question for my research, how will

integration of interactive science notebooks affect student achievement in my secondary

chemistry classroom? In addition, the following subquestions were researched

1. Will the use of interactive science notebooks be more effective than allowing

students to determine their own form of record keeping?

2. What are student opinions regarding interactive science notebooks, and do those

opinions change as a result of their integration into my classroom?

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Waldman and Crippen (2009) stated that an interactive science notebook (ISN)

provided techniques and opportunities for students to create an organized, documented

record of their personal learning. Roberson and Lankford (2010) added that any

notebook, including ISNs, used during laboratory work gave students the opportunity to

explore the nature of science. Additionally, notebooks allow students an opportunity to

practice their scientific communication skills. Ruiz-Primo et al. preferred the use of the

term science notebook rather than the term science journal as the latter could possibly be

3

misunderstood to be a diary. They added that science notebooks are simply a log of what

students do when they are in science class. Each entry in an ISN will vary as a reflection

of the many diverse types of activities that are typically carried out in a science

classroom. (Ruiz-Primo, Li, Ayala, & Shavelson, 2004).

Some of the most effective ISNs included a three-part learning cycle of in

activities, out activities, and through activities that created a daily rhythm to each class.

In activities serve as beginning of class activities to review previously taught concepts, to

introduce the new material to be covered that day, or to assess students’ prior knowledge

on a topic. Waldman and Crippen (2009) recommend that these activities last no more

than five minutes. The activities could be done alone or in small groups while the teacher

circulates around the room to provide feedback prior to using the activity as a launching

point for the day. Through activities follow in activities in the classroom routine.

Through activities are designed to cover course content. The methods used to cover the

content may vary with lectures, discussions, labs, and the viewing of videos all meeting

the standards for through activities. The out activities follow the through activities to end

the class period. Out activities are used to practice and apply key ideas or to create

connections among ideas. Teachers begin out activities by providing the prompts to get

students started, but students direct the activities through their responses to the teacher’s

prompt. The in and out activities work together to provide the power of the ISNs as a

teaching tool. These activities are meant to assess student understanding throughout the

learning process, to engage students with new material by allowing them to demonstrate

learning by creating responses that prove their understanding, and to encourage

4

metacognition. Additionally, in and out activities are made unique by allowing students

critical time to synthesize information and demonstrate that synthesis with their finished

products. The strategies used for in and out activities are interchangeable and include

drawings, writing opinions, compare/contrast, making connections between the

classroom and the real world, practice problems, and reflections (Waldman & Crippen,

2009).

There is some variation in this three-step process and different variations may

work better for some teachers. According to Young (2003), the right side of an interactive

notebook is best used for input activities, such as lectures and labs, while the left side is

used for output activities, such as drawings, reflections, and worksheets. In Waldman and

Crippen’s (2009) process, the in and out activities would be on the left side of the

notebook, while through activities would be on the right side of the notebook. Chesbro

added to Young by stating an output activity should promote higher-order thinking skills.

The student should be allowed to demonstrate that they understand the material using a

method that works for them (Chesbro, 2009).

According to Lener (2010), ISNs can be a good long term record of student

activities. As she pointed out, scientists do not throw out their old notebooks and start

over again from scratch at the end of every year. Yet, many schools expected their

students to start fresh with a new notebook every year. But this decision is left to the

discretion of the individual teacher. In fact, the teacher’s attitude towards the ISN, the

directions given to the students, and areas of emphasis all directly influenced the quality,

quantity, and organization of the student work that resulted (Butler & Nesbit, 2008).

5

Students who have no prior experience with ISNs will need guidance to use them

effectively. A class discussion of the importance of keeping a science notebook is a good

place to begin guidance. When the ISNs are first introduced, students may need guided

reflections to get them started on the process (Young, 2003). Waldman and Crippen

(2009) believe that time for self-reflection is critical as it allows students to identify areas

where their understanding is still weak. This allows them to establish relevance of the

material presented by the teacher to their everyday lives outside of the classroom.

Writing is a powerful tool for student learning, and the ISN gives students more

opportunities to write. ISNs are particularly powerful when they are used for laboratory

work. Scientists use notebooks to record their questions, experiments, data, observations,

analysis of data, and conclusions. Students get an authentic science experience when

notebooks are used in the classroom. Keeping a notebook during laboratory activities

allows students to develop and practice both observation skills and experimental design

skills (Roberson & Lankford, 2010). According to Butler and Nesbit (2008), typical lab

report entries include “date and time, question, prediction, procedure that includes

collection of data, conclusions, and line of learning” (p. 137). The line of learning takes

place when students apply their understanding of a concept to new and different

situations while increasing their knowledge of science vocabulary. The process of writing

to make sense of the experiments they have carried out helps students move from simply

writing down what they remember to constructing their own knowledge (Butler & Nesbit,

2008).

6

Providing time to write in the notebooks daily can be challenging, especially

when the notebooks are first introduced. Planning is important, but the integration

becomes easier over time. The amount of time needed will depend on the day’s activities.

During some activities, such as labs, it may be important for students to pause during

their work and take time to reflect. At other times, it may be easiest to write at the end of

the activity. Regardless, a few minutes at the end of class should be set aside for students

to write about what they have learned, reflect, and ask lingering questions they have

(Young, 2003). Weekly journaling is one way of incorporating additional writing practice

into the science classroom. The journal entries give students an opportunity to synthesize

in their own words the material covered in science class that week. In addition, the

prompts can allow students to discuss the science they are interested in at the moment,

even if it is not necessarily a part of the curriculum (Fingon & Fingon, 2008).

Of course, all this writing means nothing if it is not organized. Personal classroom

research showed that the increased organization of materials that ISNs provided led to

students having a positive perception of ISNs as tools for learning science. ISNs also

allowed students to express their personal views of topics. When they know how to locate

the materials they need quickly, students feel more confident in their abilities in the

science classroom. Over time, students learn how to control their learning, which can

contribute to student confidence and ownership of work (Waldman & Crippen, 2009).

An ISN can be used over the course of multiple years if it is not filled up in a

single year. Lener (2010) and her colleagues use the same notebook from third grade to

sixth grade. The notebooks are collected at the end of every year. The material of

7

previous years becomes reference material for students. As all teachers use the same

system of organization, students are familiar with how to organize their ISNs each year.

While ISNs tend to be used primarily at the elementary, middle, and secondary

levels as seen so far, they can also be used at the post-secondary level as well. For

example, in college biology students can add color to their ISN, as this helps improve the

level of organization. At the most basic level of supplies required, Stencel (1998)

recommends that students have access to red, green, blue, and black colored pencils

during activities to draw attention to important facts or color and label drawings.

While it is important as a teacher to have the skills necessary to help students with

organizational skills, it is just as important to be able to successfully assess students’

work and provide appropriate feedback. Using ISNs as an assessment tool allows

teachers to embed the assessment into instruction and have a source of student

understanding that can drive decisions on adjustments that may need to be made to

instruction (Morrison, 2005). According to Ruiz-Primo et al. (2004), students who score

high on science notebook assessment tended, on average, to also score high on

performance assessments. But to score high on science notebook assessment students

should be made aware early on exactly how their ISN will be assessed. Some of the

things to be considered include the completion of the entries, as well as the effort and

thought that has been put into the writing. Student notebooks should be held to the

appropriate writing standards for the student’s grade level. They should be checked often

to ensure that they meet these standards. Collaboration with an English teacher may be

necessary as confusion may be the result if the writing standards vary across classes. In

8

addition, the method of feedback will vary per teacher preferences. Some teachers may

prefer to use sticky notes (Young, 2003). Waldman and Crippen (2009) emphasized that

all feedback on assessments should be in one place in all notebooks for long term storage.

Chesbro (2006) agreed and preferred students leave the first page empty for the use of

marking scores for notebook assessments. His students have an assessment rubric taped

inside the front cover. When it comes to the composition of the feedback given, Fingon

and Fingon (2008) recommended the use of both general praise and more specific

questions designed to either encourage continued discussion or to guide students who

need more support.

However, Ruiz-Primo, et al. presented a word of caution on assessment of writing skills.

They contend that many teachers do not know how to provide useful, quality feedback to

students. They add that this can diminish the effectiveness of the ISN because the

feedback, or lack thereof, does not redirect students to address shortcomings in their

work. In fact, the group attributes this lack of feedback on writing by the teachers in their

study to the lack of improvement in students’ writing skills. The students in their study

declined in communication skills from the fall semester to the spring semester (Ruiz-

Primo et al., 2004).

In addition to assessment of writing skills, general assessment of ISNs should take

place often. Assessment should include both quick checks and more in-depth evaluations.

Examples of quick checks include visual inspection by the teacher (either through

walking around the classroom or having all students hold up their notebooks), student

completion of a short self-evaluation form that the teacher has designed, or the use of a

9

simple three-point rating scale. On this scale, exemplary work receives a three, adequate

work receives a two, and incomplete attempts receive a one. For more in-depth

evaluation, rubrics should be used to assess quality, completion, organization, effort, and

improvement (Waldman & Crippen, 2009). According to the Ruiz-Primo et al. (2004)

study, it is possible for notebooks to be scored consistently by different teachers if a

sound grading framework is in place. This is good for larger schools where subjects have

multiple teachers.

Feedback, assessment, and grades should all combine cohesively for ISNs to have

the greatest impact on student learning. Feedback should be both positive and

constructive. Grading should be based on completeness and effort according to a rubric

(Young, 2003). Waldman and Crippen (2009) observed a proportional increase in

students’ overall quarter grades as their notebook scores for the same time period

increased. They believe that ISNs have a significant effect on the increase of student

learning.

When it comes to student learning and grades, self-assessment can become a very

powerful tool if implemented correctly. Chesbro (2006) encouraged students to complete

self-evaluations of their ISN. While this can be done at any time, he chooses to

implement them at the end of the school year. He found that the self-evaluation scores

were very close to the scores that he assigned the same work when grading it himself

after the self-evaluation. The students were very honest with their comments and

feedback on their own work.

10

As the research demonstrates, ISNs can be a powerful learning tool. However, it

is critical that the ISN be integrated with the proper training on use, grading, and regular

feedback. In fact, Morrison (2005) found that pre-service teachers who were trained in

the use of science notebooks stated they were very likely to use them as a formative

assessment tool for assessing both science and writing in their future classrooms. This

training required no additional courses, as it was integrated as a component of the science

teaching methods courses the students were already required to take.

METHODOLOGY

Incorporation of the interactive science notebooks (ISN) took place during the

second half of the 2016-2017 school year, with two pre-treatment units taking place

during the first half of the year. The 47 chemistry students were supplied with notebooks

to use during the treatment phase. These students were split into two classes. The 5th

period chemistry class had 21 students with 2 students exempt from final data. The 7th

period chemistry class had 26 students with 4 students exempt from final data. The use of

these notebooks began on January 3, 2017, which was the day that students returned from

Christmas break. The research methodology for this project received an exemption by

Montana State University's Institutional Review Board and compliance for working with

human subjects was maintained (Appendix A). Consent from the school principal for the

research was also obtained (Appendix B).

Two pre-treatment units took place during the first half of the school year. Data

collected during these units included pre- and post-test data as well as teacher journaling.

There was no change in the teaching methods that were normally used during the pre-

11

treatment units. The first of these two units took place during the month of October with

the pre-test administered at the end of September. The Periodic Trends Pre- and Post-Test

was used with this unit (Appendix C). This content test covered electron configurations,

electron energy and light, and the trends of the periodic table because of its organization

by increasing atomic number. Both the pre- and post-tests were administered as all tests

are in my classroom with students recording their answers for the test on a separate piece

of paper. The test questions included a mixture of multiple choice and various forms of

short answer questions. After the pre- and post-tests were graded, the results were

analyzed for normalized gains to assess students’ growth in knowledge as a result of the

unit. The normalized gains were placed into one of three categories. Low gains were all

those lower than 0.3. Medium gains were all those between 0.3 and 0.7. High gains were

all those higher than 0.7 (Hake, 1998).

The second of these two units took place during the months of November and

December with the pre-test administered in mid-November. The Chemical Names and

Formulas Pre- and Post-Test was used with this unit (Appendix D). This content test

covered naming and writing formulas for ionic compounds, covalent compounds, and

acids. Both the pre- and post-tests were administered with students recording their

answers for the test on a separate piece of paper. The test questions included a mixture of

multiple choice and various forms of short answer questions. After the pre- and post-

tests were graded, the results were analyzed for normalized gains to assess students’

growth in knowledge as a result of the unit. The normalized gains were placed into one of

the categories of low, medium, and high gains as described by Hake (1998).

12

In mid-December, the Pre-Treatment Interactive Science Notebook Survey and

Interview took place. The Interactive Science Notebook Survey was administered to the

students (Appendix E). This Likert survey asked students about their attitudes toward

science and interactive science notebooks. In this scale, a score of four represented they

strongly agree with the statement, a score of three represented the students agree with the

statement, a score of two represented the students disagree with the statement, and a

score of one represented the students strongly disagree with the statement. The students

were given the Interactive Science Notebook Surveys and instructed to complete them

without discussing the questions with their classmates. They were permitted to ask for

clarification if they did not understand what a statement meant. After the pre- and post-

treatment Interactive Science Notebook Surveys were complete, the results were

analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.

After the pre-treatment Interactive Science Notebook Survey, five students from

each class were randomly selected to take part in the pre-treatment interview, which used

the Interview Questions (Appendix F). These interviews took place during the school’s

daily 30-minute Response to Intervention period. Each of the two class period’s students

were interviewed in separate groups of five to foster conversation in the smaller groups.

The interviews were recorded on a school-issued iPad and were later transcribed. After

transcription was complete, a student from each interview group was selected to delete

the recording so that the students could feel comfortable that recordings no longer existed

once they were not necessary. The pre-treatment interviews were analyzed for themes

and used to support other data.

13

The ISNs were used for three units during the second half of the year. The

notebooks were assessed once a week using the Rubric for Interactive Science Notebook

Assessment (Appendix G). This rubric looked for completion of the notebook activities

for the week with fidelity. The rubric also looked at organization and creativity as

necessary. The ISNs were analyzed quantitatively using the Rubric for Interactive

Science Notebook Assessment to look for themes and evidence of student understanding.

This data was also used for comparison with the results of the content pre- and post-tests.

The first of the three units for the treatment used the Chemical Quantities Pre- and

Post-Test (Appendix H). This content test covered the mole, mole to representative

particle conversions, molar mass, mole to molar mass conversions, molar volume, mole

to molar volume conversions, and density of gases using molar volume. The second of

the three units for the treatment used the Chemical Reactions Pre- and Post-Test

(Appendix I). This content test covered writing and balancing chemical equations, the

five types of chemical reactions, and net ionic equations. The third of the three units for

the treatment used the Stoichiometry Pre- and Post-Test (Appendix J). This content test

covered basic stoichiometric calculations including the concept of limiting reagent.

For each of the three treatment units, the same test administration procedures

were followed. Both the pre- and post-tests were administered as all tests are in my

classroom with students recording their answers for the test on a separate piece of paper.

The test questions included a mixture of multiple choice and various forms of short

answer questions. After the pre- and post-tests were graded, the results were analyzed for

normalized gains to assess students’ growth in knowledge as a result of the unit. The

14

normalized gains were placed into one of the categories of low, medium, and high gains

as described by Hake (1998).

A final data source for the treatment units was the teacher journal, which was kept

in a basic notebook with no specific labeling on the cover to discourage students from

looking in the journal. The journal entries noted the date, the topic being taught, and any

issues or notes about the day’s events. The journal entry had one entry for each chemistry

class. If possible, the entry was completed immediately after class ended. If that was not

possible, the entries were completed at the end of the school day, which was no more

than three hours after the first chemistry class. The teacher journal was analyzed for

themes and used to support other data.

In March, as the end of the third treatment unit approached, the post-treatment

Interactive Science Notebooks Survey and Interview took place. The Interactive Science

Notebook Survey was again administered to all 47 students (Appendix E). This Likert

survey asked students about their attitudes toward science and interactive science

notebooks. In this scale, a score of four represents they strongly agree with the statement,

a score of three represents the students agree with the statement, a score of two represents

the students disagree with the statement, and a score of one represents the students

strongly disagree with the statement. The students were given the Interactive Science

Notebook Surveys and instructed to complete them without discussing the questions with

their classmates, but were permitted to ask the teacher for clarification if they did not

understand what a statement meant. After the pre- and post-treatment Interactive Science

15

Notebook Surveys were complete, the results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed

Rank Test.

After the post-treatment Interactive Science Notebook Survey, five students from

each class were randomly selected to take part in the post-treatment interview, which

used the Interview Questions (Appendix F). The students were different than the students

who took part in the pre-treatment survey. These interviews were conducted using the

same structure as the pre-treatment interviews. The students were interviewed in two

groups of five students during our RTI period. After transcription, the students deleted

the recording of the interview. The post-treatment interviews were analyzed for themes

and used to support other data (Table 1).

16

Table 1

Data Triangulation Matrix

Focus Questions Data

Source 1

Data

Source 2

Data

Source 3

Data

Source 4

Primary Question

How will integration of

interactive science notebooks

affect student achievement in

my secondary chemistry

classroom?

Content

Pre- and

Post-tests

Student

Work

Samples

Analyzed

with

Rubrics

Teacher

Journal

Interactive

Science

Notebooks

Pre- and

Post-

Treatment

Survey

Secondary Questions

Will the use of interactive

science notebooks be more

effective than allowing

students to determine their

own form of record keeping?

Content

Pre- and

Post-Tests

Interactive

Science

Notebooks

Pre- and

Post-

Treatment

Survey

Interviews Teacher

Journal

What are student opinions

regarding interactive science

notebooks, and do those

opinions change as a result of

their integration into my

classroom?

Interactive

Science

Notebooks

Pre- and

Post-

Treatment

Survey

Interviews Teacher

Journal

Student

Work

Samples

Analyzed

with

Rubrics

DATA AND ANALYSIS

The results of the Periodic Trends Pre- and Post-Tests (Appendix C), which used

multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions to assess the content

knowledge of the students, had an average normalized gain of 0.69 (N=41) (Figure 1).

According to Hake (1998), this is considered to be a medium normalized gain since it

falls between 0.31 and 0.70. The results of the Chemical names and Formulas Pre- and

Post-Tests (Appendix D), which used the same variety of questions as the Periodic

Trends Pre- and Post-Tests, had an average normalized gain of 0.81, a high gain (Figure

17

2). The teacher journal has evidence to support the high normalized gain. Many students

would state during these lessons that they remembered this concept from physical

science, where many of the same ideas are taught using simpler compounds than those

that are typically seen in chemistry lessons.

Figure 1. Periodic trends pre- and post-test score distributions, (N=41).

18

Figure 2. Chemical names and formulas pre- and post-test score distributions, (N=41).

When students were asked how they organized their materials during the two pre-

treatment units, there were a variety of responses. One student stated, “I have all of my

notes in a notebook. Then I have all of my loose papers in a folder.” Another student

added, “In a one -subject notebook with a pocket at the front of the notebook. I put my

worksheets in the pocket and my notes in order by chapter with any other stuff for that

chapter following the notes.” A third student added, “I have all of my papers and notes in

my textbook.” A fourth student added, “Everything has gotten so out of order I end up

just using the next open page in whatever notebook I have with me.” The teacher journal

entries for these two units support the interview results. There were a lot of lost

assignments during these two units. In addition, when students would be asked to refer

back to their notes because the answer to their question is there, many students would

reply that they did not know where their notes were.

19

All treatment unit tests used the same variety of questions as mentioned for the

Periodic Trends Test. For the Chemical Quantities Pre- and Post-Tests (Appendix H), the

normalized gain was 0.73, which falls into the high category (Hake, 1998) (Figure 3).

This was all new material to all students. The teacher journal notes that this test did take

the students two class periods to complete, while all other tests took a single class period.

This was expected given previous experience with this test. The Chemical Reactions Pre-

and Post-Tests (Appendix I) had a normalized gain of 0.72, which again falls into the

high category (Hake, 1998). This set of data had outliers on both the pre- and post-tests,

with the post-test having one more outlier than the pre-test (Figure 4). In the teacher

journal, there was a note during Chemical Reactions that there was a two-week influenza

outbreak at school that resulted in low attendance for most of the unit. For the final

treatment unit, the Stoichiometry Pre- and Post-Tests (Appendix J), the normalized gain

was 0.74, which is also in the high category (Hake, 1998). However, this unit also had the

most outliers and was the only unit to have outliers on both sides of a distribution, which

can be seen on the pre-test distribution (Figure 5). According to the teacher journal, there

were more issues with student focus in this unit than with any other unit. There was a 5-

day weekend due to the Mardi Gras holiday in the middle of this unit and the lack of

focus was centered around this. At the beginning and end of the unit, focus was high as it

normally is. As a result of these test results, the use of the ISNs was effective when

compared to allowing students to determine their own record keeping due to the

consistency of normalized gains during the treatment units when compared to

inconsistency of normalized gains during the pre-treatment units.

20

Figure 3. Chemical quantities pre- and post-test score distributions (N=41).

Figure 4. Chemical reactions pre- and post-test score distributions (N=41).

21

Figure 5. Stoichiometry pre- and post-test score distributions (N=41).

The results of the Interactive Science Notebook surveys were not as clear as the

Pre- and Post-Test scores for both the pre-treatment and treatment. The Wilcoxon Signed

Rank Test was used to analyze the difference in paired Likert Data from the surveys. For

the first set of questions regarding students’ comfort levels with science in general, the

question “I feel like I am good at science” showed a statistically significant difference

with a p-value of 0.04 (Figure 6). The other question in this set, “I enjoy science class”

did not show a statistically significant difference with a p-value of 0.14.

22

Figure 6. Survey question, “I feel like I am good at science,” (N=41).

The second group of Interactive Science Notebook survey questions revolved

around the ISNs and techniques used in them. Only two of the questions, which related

to the ISN itself, showed a statistically significant difference with p-values of 0.000004

and 0.00005 (Figures 7-8). When students were asked during the pre-treatment interview

about previous experience with interactive science notebooks, the response was negative.

One student stated, “It wasn’t that organized and it was hard to keep up with. Another

student added, “I don’t like them because there was nowhere to put loose papers and the

papers that get glued or taped get torn up.” Responses in the post-treatment interview

reflected the difference shown statistically, with the overall response becoming positive.

A student said, “The interactive notebooks helped me keep things organized.” Another

student added, “It was really good and simple, easier to keep track of everything.” In

addition to this, notes in the teacher journal helped to support these results. During a lab

that required a processing time, a conversation started among the students about the

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Pre Post

23

notebooks in both class periods. The students said that they preferred this approach to the

ISN as “It felt like you planned things ahead. In the other class, it felt like it was made up

as we went along.” When students who planned to take physics the following school year

were asked if they would be interested in using ISNs in physics, they students replied that

they would like that. They stated that from what they understood, physics was a math-

heavy course and they said the ISNs “made chemistry math like stoichiometry a lot

easier.” The remaining four questions, which related to techniques commonly used in the

ISNs, did not show a statistically significant difference with p-values of 0.83, 0.36, 0.07,

and 0.47.

Figure 7. Survey question, “I like using interactive science notebooks,” (N=41).

0

5

10

15

20

25


Pre Post

24

Figure 8. Survey question, “I feel that I learn better using interactive science notebooks,”

(N=41).

The final set of six survey questions dealt with organization of class materials. For

three of those questions, the p-values showed statistically significant differences as their

values were 0.02, 0.03, and 0.01(Figures 9-11). Though there are statistically significant

differences, the questions themselves are complete opposites. This discord is reflected in

student interview responses. Prior to the treatment, one student stated, “I would rather

choose my own method because I know where I put things and I’m organized.” Another

student disagreed, stating, “I would rather interactive notebooks if they would be

organized, where we know where our notes and classwork is, especially our practice

problems.” After the treatment, there was still disagreement in interview responses. One

student stated, “I would rather the interactive science notebooks method for organizing

because I like organizing my notes the way the teacher wants them. My own methods are

crazy.” Another student added, “I like that the interactive notebooks has things organized

day by day. It makes it easy if I need to look back.” A classmate disagreed with these

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Pre Post

25

students, stating, “I like choosing my own method because I get to choose how I write

notes and where I put my papers.” During the lab conversation mentioned previously, a

couple of students had started using the same organization method in math class, placing

their notes on the right side and their homework or practice on the left side. According to

them, their grades were going up since using this approach and they felt much better

about math class. Many students planned to continue this approach themselves after the

completion of the treatment, and they did so. Others planned to return to the approach

they had used previously, either because they preferred it or because the ISNs were “a lot

of work.” For the other three questions, the p-values did not show statistically significant

differences as their values were 0.84, 0.07, and 0.09.

Figure 9. Survey question, “I want to be told how to organize my class materials,”

(N=41).

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20


Pre Post

26

Figure 10. Survey question, “I like choosing my own way of taking notes,” (N=41).

Figure 11. Survey question, “I feel that I learn better when I choose how to organize my

class materials,” (N=41).

The ISNs were assessed once a week using the Rubric for Interactive Science

Notebook Assessment (Appendix G). The scores remained consistently high throughout

the seven weeks that the notebooks were used and assessed, with a few exceptions

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Pre Post

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Pre Post

27

(Figure 12). The students attributed this to having a copy of the rubric taped to the inside

cover of their notebooks. There is a note in the teacher journal at the end of the first week

of notebook use that a student stated in class that having the rubric “makes it easy to

know what is expected of my notebook.” Another student quickly added, “I might have

liked the notebooks better before if it would have been clear on what I should have on

each page.” During the post-treatment interview, one student volunteered when they were

asked if they had anything else to share. This student said, “I really liked the rubric. I

knew exactly what each page should look like. It made it easier to stay organized.” The

classmates in the interview with this student agreed.

Figure 12. Weekly ISN scores using rubric for interactive science notebook assessment,

(N=41).

The results of the survey, interview, and rubrics show that the overall viewpoint

of the students with regards to the notebooks changed from negative to positive.

However, there were individual students who were exemptions to this statement. The

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41

Rub

ric

Sco

re

Assigned Student Number

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Week 5 Week 6 Week 7

28

students did not prefer any particular technique used with the notebooks. Also, as a

group, the students were conflicted as to whether they preferred the ISNs or their own

form of record keeping.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS

The first of my research subquestions asked, “will the use of interactive science

notebooks be more effective than allowing students to determine their own form of

record keeping?” While growth was not seen in the normalized gains of the pre- and post-

tests, there was an increased consistency in the treatment units when compared to the pre-

treatment units. For the two pre-treatment units, the normalized gains were 0.69 and

0.81. These gains, although impressive, are not very consistent as they are not near each

other in magnitude. For the treatment units, the normalized gains were 0.73, 0.72, and

0.74. The major difference during the treatment units is that the normalized gains are

consistent. Also, while these scores are higher than one of the pre-treatment units, they

are also lower than one of the pre-treatment units. Looking at the data from this

perspective implies that there was not a positive effect on student achievement when

comparing the use of ISNs to allowing students to determine their own form of record

keeping. But the consistency in the treatment units could also be interpreted as effective

because this implies that the learning was consistent across all the treatment units in

comparison to the uneven learning seen in the pre-treatment units.

These findings will have an effect on my teaching practice. I would personally

prefer my students to learn consistently rather than learning some topics better than

others. It is evident from these normalized gains the ISNs are the better option for

29

consistent learning across multiple topics. This is encouraging when deciding whether or

not to continue the use of the ISNs in my classroom. There will need to be a full year of

evidence rather than just three units, but the evidence is there to warrant a longer-term

investigation into the effectiveness of the ISNs on student achievement. With any

science, some topics are more difficult than others. The true test will be if an ISN can

help with these especially difficult topics. Also, it needs to be seen if the consistencies

seen here can be transferred to other sciences such as physics.

The second of my research subquestions asked, “what are student opinions

regarding interactive science notebooks, and do those opinions change as a result of their

integration into my classroom?” The students clearly did not like the ISNs prior to the

treatment. The evidence from the interview was also very telling. Of the 10 students

interviewed, none of the students liked the ISNs prior to treatment. Their biggest

complaint was a lack of organization in the ISNs with their prior experiences. After the

treatment, opinions changed for a majority of students, as seen in Figure 7. The evidence

from the interviews also supported this. Of the 10 students interviewed, 9 of the students

liked the ISNs. Although the overall opinion of the ISNs changed, there was no change

in opinion of the various techniques common to ISNs, such as drawings and use of color.

Also, when it came to the topic of organization, the students were conflicted. Some

students in the interview liked the ISN because it made clear exactly how to organize the

materials, especially with having the rubric right there in the notebooks. Evidence from

my teacher journal also supports this, as different students stated on several occasions

that they liked the rubric for this very reason. There were a few students who disagreed

30

with this viewpoint, as they felt they kept their materials sufficiently organized and did

not need anyone to tell them how to organize their materials. But, the overall student

view of the notebooks was negative at the start of the treatment, changing to positive as a

result of the treatment.

As with the first subquestion, a change was evident from before the treatment to

after that is large enough to merit a permanent change in my teaching practices. This

change in student opinions from being highly negative to positive about the notebooks is

encouraging. The students enjoyed using the notebooks. When students enjoy what they

are doing in class, they learn better. This is encouraging when it comes to the continued

use of the notebooks. Since ending the treatment units, we have returned to my prior

method of teaching which was ready to go for the remainder of the year. The time

constraints of teaching four subjects and completing this project made that an unfortunate

necessity. The students have asked several times if we are going to return to using the

notebooks before the end of the year. This is also encouraging to continuing the use of

the ISNs in future school years. However, it will need to be seen if this change is

sustainable through an entire school year before making the ultimate decision to make a

more permanent transition to the ISNs.

When compared to previous research, my findings agree with the researchers’

findings. At the start of the process, the literature stated that it was important to show

how the notebook would be assessed from the start. This was done using the Rubric for

Interactive Science Notebook Assessment (Appendix G). The students stated that having

the rubric was a huge help for them, both in the post-treatment interviews and during

31

everyday conversations that were recorded in the teacher journal. The research said that if

students clearly understood what was expected of their ISNs from the beginning, high

scores on ISN assessments would correlate with high performance assessment scores.

This correlation exists in my data. Also, according to the research, the increased

organization that the ISNs provided should have led to students having a positive

perception of the ISNs. As seen in the survey results, post-treatment interviews, and

comments recorded in the teacher journal, The students’ view of the ISNs changed from

negative to positive. This ability to quickly locate what they need can allow students to

feel more confident in their abilities in the science classroom. As seen in Figure 6, there

was a slight upward shift in students feeling that they are “good at science.” The research

presents the idea of the ISN being a good long-term record, one that can potentially

stretch over multiple years. Even though the notebooks were only used for about 10

weeks, the students liked being able to look back at material that was already covered. I

liked it as well because I spend less time reviewing old material with students who had

lost their notes and more time with students who need help with the current topic.

All of these observations and events lead back to the original focus question for

my research, “How will integration of interactive science notebooks affect student

achievement in my secondary chemistry classroom?” The integration had a different

effect than what was expected. I expected to see mild growth normalized gains after the

first unit, which was used for adjustment to the new method. I did not expect to see

highly consistent normalized gains across all three units of treatment. I had not expected

to see the students come into the treatment with such negative viewpoints on ISNs, but

32

once they did I hoped to change a couple of students’ minds. I did not expect to see the

complete shift in thinking that was seen in most of the students. They greatly enjoyed the

ISN, wanted to continue it when the treatment phase ended, and in some cases transferred

the organization skills to another subject successfully. The integration of interactive

science notebooks had a positive effect on student achievement in my secondary

chemistry classroom.

VALUE

The action research process had a major impact on my classroom. By using daily

reflections and adjustments made in my teacher journal, each chemistry lesson became a

little more tailored to what the students felt worked best or the next move that I felt was

best based on the previous few days. If students needed more practice, they got more

practice, even if that was not what I had originally planned. lessons became less about

following the lesson plan and more about adjusting to what the students needed.

Adjusting mid-lesson admittedly was something that I had struggled with as far back as

my student teaching at another school.

Another huge benefit was the ability of students to all have the same notes in the

same location. I often vary from the textbook when I teach skills because the textbook

uses an awkward methodology that takes longer. Previously, this presented problems

because students’ notes were not organized enough for them to find where I had

previously taught a skill. Looking in the book didn’t always help them because I had

taught the skill differently. Now, when a student needed help on something I previously

taught, I could simply tell them what lesson to look back at. For most students, this was

33

all they needed. It allowed me to dedicate more time to the students who were truly

struggling with understanding a concept, which meant these students were more likely to

complete their work rather than giving up as they tended to do prior to the ISNs.

For the next school year, I plan to continue the use of the ISNs in my chemistry

course. The consistency in test results across the three treatment units when compared to

the inconsistency in the two pre-treatment units was too significant to ignore. It will be a

great year to begin a full redesign of the course as we are going to begin integrating our

new science standards for the state of Louisiana into our classrooms, with full integration

to come the year after next. This will be the first new set of standards since the 1997

introduction of the Grade Level Expectations. These standards are based on the Next

Generation Science Standards. I feel that the ISNs will work well with the new standards

that I have seen. For chemistry, I do not plan to make any immediate changes to the setup

that was followed. As the year progresses, I will make any changes that I feel are

necessary.

In the next school year, I also plan to integrate the ISNs into my physics course.

Many of the chemistry students that were a part of this project and loved the notebooks

plan to take physics in the next school year. Physics lends itself well to the setup for the

ISNs that we used in chemistry. However, a couple of the guidelines that we followed in

chemistry will be relaxed in physics. I will allow the students to choose which side of the

notebook is for input activities and which side is for output activities. I feel that it is a

decision that they are responsible and experienced enough to make for themselves. The

right-side input and left-side output followed the research I completed prior to beginning

34

the project, made sense to me and seemed easy for my example notebook, but I am left-

handed. My left-handed students agreed with me. My right-handed students disagreed.

With left-handed individuals, you can still see the notes on the right side of the page

while you work with the notebook open. For right-handed individuals, they had to stop

working and pick up their arm to see the notes on the right side of their notebook. If their

notes were on the left, they would not experience this problem. I plan to modify the

Rubric for Interactive Science Notebook Assessment (Appendix G) so that students can

state at the beginning of the year which side of the notebook will be dedicated to input

activities and which side will be dedicated to output activities. Otherwise, I do not foresee

any issues with the integration of the notebooks into physics.

For my other two subjects, Biology II and physical science, the ISNs will not be

integrated during the next school year. My Biology II course is a college-preparation

course. Nearly all the students who have taken or plan to take the course will be attending

McNeese State University, which is the same university that I attended for my bachelor’s

degree. There is no use of anything like the ISNs at this university. The professors

employ a more traditional lecture system. As a result, I want these students to be

prepared for that type of setting, so I will continue to use my current lecture-based system

for them. For my physical science, I was originally planning to use the ISNs with them

in the next school year and had even started working on some of the modifications that I

wanted to make for them to use the ISNs. These modifications included a simplified

rubric and a glue-in table of contents rather than having them create their own table of

contents as the older students do. But around the conclusion of the project, I was

35

informed that eighth-grade students will no longer be allowed to skip ahead to high

school science. Due to the new Louisiana standards, this eliminates physical science

temporarily from the courses that I teach. The files and plans that I started working on

have been securely stored until such a time that I may need them again.

36

REFERENCES CITED

37

Butler, M.B. & Nesbit, C. (2008). Using science notebooks to improve writing skills and

conceptual understanding. Science Activities. 44(4), 137-146.

Calcasieu Parish School Board Quick Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2016, from

http://www.cpsb.org/domain/21

Chesbro, R. (2006). Using interactive science notebooks for inquiry-based science.

Science Scope, 29(7), 30-34.

Fingon, J.C. & Fingon, S.D. (2008). Using science journals to encourage all students to

write. Science Scope, 32(3), 41-45.

Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-

student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American

Journal of Physics, 66(1), 64-74.

Lener, E. (2010). Reuse that notebook. Science and Children, 48(3), 56-59.

Morrison, J.A. (2005). Using science notebooks to promote pre-service science teachers’

understanding of formative assessment. Issues in Teacher Education, 14(1), 5-21.

Roberson, C. & Lankford, D. (2010). Laboratory notebooks in the science classroom. The

Science Teacher, 77(1), 38-42.

Ruiz-Primo, M.A., Li, M., Ayala, C., & Shavelson, R.J. (2004). Evaluating students’

science notebooks as an assessment tool. International Journal of Science

Education, 26(12), 1477-1506.

Stencel, J.E. (1998). An interactive lecture notebook – Twelve ways to improve students’

grades. Journal of College Science Teaching, 27(5), 343-345.

Waldman, C. & Crippen, K.J. (2009). Integrating interactive notebooks. The Science

Teacher, 76(1), 51-55.

Young, J. (2003). Science interactive notebooks in the classroom. Science Scope, 26(4).

44-47.

38

APPENDICES

39

APPENDIX A

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL

41

APPENDIX B

EXEMPTION REGARDING INFORMED CONSENT

43

APPENDIX C

PERIODIC TRENDS PRE- AND POST-TEST

44

Periodic Trends

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1. Which of the following is formed by gaining electrons?

a. Ions c. Cations

b. Anions d. Dogions

2. The nucleus of an atom is _____________ charged.

a. positively c. variably

b. negatively d. none of these

3. Which of the following is formed by losing electrons?

a. Ions c. Cations

b. Anions d. Dogions

4. According to the Aufbau Principle, electrons enter the ___________ energy level first.

a. highest c. no

b. middle d. lowest

5. According to _________ Rule, when electrons occupy orbitals of equal energy, they don’t

pair up until they have to.

a. Bohr’s c. Hund’s

b. Rutherford’s d. Pauli’s

6. _________ have an effect on group trends.

a. Neutrons c. Nuclear charges

b. Energy levels d. Orbitals

7. ______have an effect on period trends.

a. Neutrons c. Nuclear charges

b. Energy levels d. Orbitals

8. Atomic size _____________ as you move down a group.

a. increases c. decreases

b. stays the same d. doesn’t follow a pattern

9. Atomic size _____________ as you move across a period.



10. Ionization energy _____________ as you move across a period.



11. Ionization energy _____________ as you move down a group.



45

12. Ionic size _____________ as you move across a period.



13. Ionic size _____________ as you move down a group.



14. Electronegativity _____________ as you move across a period.



15. Electronegativity _____________ as you move down a group.



Completion

Complete each statement.

16. Metallic elements form __________ ions.

17. Nonmetallic elements form ________________ ions.

18. Atoms behave in ways to try and achieve a ____________________ configuration.

19. The area around the nucleus where electrons are most likely to be found is called the

____________________.

20. The vertical columns in the periodic table are called ____________________.

21. The horizontal rows in the periodic table are called ____________________.

22. The radius of an atom __________ be measured directly.

Short Answer

23. Complete the Following chart:

# of Orbitals Maximum

Electrons

Starts at

energy level

s 1 1

3 6

d 5

14 4

46

24. What can the Quantum Mechanical Model tell us?

25. What does the Periodic law state?

Ionization Energies

Symbol First Second Third

H 1312

He 2731 5247

Li 520 7297 11810

Be 900 1757 14840

B 800 2430 3569

C 1086 2352 4619

N 1402 2857 4577

O 1314 3391 5301

F 1681 3375 6045

Ne 2080 3963 6276

26. What is the second ionization energy for neon?

27. What is the first ionization energy for boron?

28. Why does hydrogen lack second and third ionizaiton energies?

Problem

29. Write the electron configuration for oxygen.

30. Write the electron configuration for magnesium.

31. Write the electron configuration for argon.

47

APPENDIX D

CHEMICAL NAMES AND FORMULAS PRE- AND POST-TEST

48

Chapter 6: Chemical Names and Formulas

Multiple Choice


1. The correct name for the N3- ion is the:

a. nitride ion c. nitric ion

b. nitrate ion d. nitrite ion

2. Elements of Group 4A:

a. do not commonly form ions c. generally form anions

b. generally form positive ions d. generally form negative ions

3. Which element when combined with chlorine would most likely form an ionic compound?

a. lithium c. phosphorus

b. bromine d. carbon

4. The cation Fe3+ is formed when:

a. an atom of zinc loses two electrons c. an atom of iron gains three electrons

b. an atom of iron loses two electrons d. an atom of iron loses three electrons

5. The metals in Groups 1A, 2A, and 3A:

a. all form ions with a 1+ charge c. lose electrons when they form ions

b. form ions with a charge found by

subtracting the group number from 8

d. gain electrons when they form ions

6. When naming an ion of a transition metal that has more than one common ionic charge, the

numerical value of the charge is indicated by a:

a. suffix c. roman numeral following the name

b. prefix d. superscript after the name

7. In naming a binary molecular compound, the number of atoms of each element present in the

molecule is indicated by:

a. prefixes c. superscripts

b. suffixes d. roman numerals

8. A chemical formula includes the symbols of the elements in the compound and subscripts that

indicate

a. atomic mass of each element.

b. number of atoms or ions of each element that are combined in the compound.

c. formula mass.

d. charges on the elements or ions.

Short Answer

9. Why was it necessary for chemists to develop a system for naming chemical compounds?

10. What three things should a chemical compound’s name tell you?

49

Problem

11. Write the formulas for the following diatomic molecules:

A. Fluorine

B. Oxygen

C. Hydrogen

D. Bromine

12. Write the formulas for the compounds formed from these pairs of ions:

A. Ba2+, Cl-

B. sodium sulfide

C. Al3+, O2-

D. calcium bromide

13. Name the following binary ionic compounds:

A. Li3N

B. K2S

C. CuCl2

D. MnO2

14. Write formulas for the following ternary ionic compounds.

A. potassium cyanide

B. sodium silicate

C. ammonium chloride

D. sodium hydroxide

15. Name the following ternary ionic compounds:

A. NaCN

B. LiNO3

C. K2CO3

D. Cu(OH)2

16. Write the formula for the following molecular compounds

A. nitrogen tribromide

B. dichlorine monoxide

C. carbon tetrafluoride

D. dinitrogen tetrafluoride

17. Name the following molecular compounds

A. PCl5

B. XeF2

C. P4O6

D. NO2

50

APPENDIX E

INTERACTIVE SCIENCE NOTEBOOK SURVEY

51

Instructions: Please answer the following questions. Your participation in this survey is

voluntary, you may stop at any time, and participation will not affect your grade in this

class.

1. I feel like I am good at science.


2. I like using interactive science notebooks.


3. I want to be told how to organize my class materials.


4. I feel that having color in my notes is distracting.


5. I feel that I learn better using interactive science notebooks.


6. I am good at keeping my class materials organized.


7. I like choosing my own way of taking notes.


8. I enjoy science class.


9. I feel that drawing pictures doesn’t help me learn.


10. I like being able to easily look back at material that we’ve already covered.

52


11. I feel that I learn better when I choose how to organize my class materials.


12. I want to choose how to organize my class materials


13. I like drawing pictures to learn or review material.


14. I feel that I learn better when my notes have color.


53

APPENDIX F

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

54

Pre-Treatment Interview Questions:

1. What is your previous experience with interactive science notebooks?

2. How does that experience make you feel about the interactive science notebooks?

3. Would you rather interactive science notebooks or choosing your own method of

organizing class materials? Why or why not?

4. How do you currently organize your class materials?

5. Would you say that you are good at keeping your class materials organized? Why

or why not?

6. Is there anything else that you would like me to know about this topic at this

time?

Post-Treatment Interview Questions:

1. What was your experience with the interactive science notebooks like?

2. How does that experience make you feel about the interactive science notebooks?

3. Would you rather interactive science notebooks or choosing your own method of

organizing class materials? Why or why not?

4. Do you plan to change how you organize your class materials now that we’ve

completed the interactive science notebooks?

5. Would you say that you are good at keeping your class materials organized? Why

or why not?

6. Do you feel that you learned the class information better with the interactive

science notebooks? Why or why not?

7. Is there anything else that you would like me to know about this topic at this

time?

55

APPENDIX G

RUBRIC FOR INTERACTIVE SCIENCE NOTEBOOK ASSESSMENT

56

Right Side – Input Activities

Category 4 3 2 1

Necessary

information

All necessary

information

included

Most necessary

information

included

Some necessary

information

included

Minimal

necessary

information

included

Organization and

the Basics

Work is extremely

organized; pages

are numbered and

dates are included;

work is very neat

and clearly legible

Work is

adequately

organized; pages

are numbered and

dates are included;

work is mostly

neat and legible

Work is somewhat

organized; some

pages are

numbered and

some dates are

included; work is

somewhat neat

and legible

Work is poorly

organized; pages

are not numbered

and dates are not

included; work is

not neat and

legible

Left Side – Output Activities

Category 8 6 4 2

Completion of

Activity

Activity is

complete above

and beyond the

requirements

given to students.

Evidence of

understanding is

clearly

demonstrated

Activity is

complete at the

requirements.

Evidence of

understanding is

demonstrated

Activity is nearly

complete at then

requirements.

Evidence of

understanding is

somewhat

demonstrated

Activity is

partially complete.

Evidence of

understanding is

not demonstrated.

Creativity (if

applicable)

Creativity

exceptionally

demonstrated.

Color used

throughout to

enhance the work.

Creativity

adequately

demonstrated.

Some color used

throughout to

enhance the work.

Some creativity

demonstrated.

Little color used

throughout to

enhance the work.

Little creativity

demonstrated. No

color used

throughout to

enhance the work

Organization and

the Basics

Work is extremely

organized; pages

are numbered and

dates are included;

work is very neat

and clearly legible

Work is

adequately

organized; pages

are numbered and

dates are included;

work is mostly

neat and legible

Work is somewhat

organized; some

pages are

numbered and

some dates are

included; work is

somewhat neat

and legible

Work is poorly

organized; pages

are not numbered

and dates are not

included; work is

not neat and

legible

57

APPENDIX H

CHEMICAL QUANTITIES PRE- AND POST-TEST

58

Chemistry Chapter 7 Test

Matching

Match each item with the correct statement below.

a. molar volume

b. molar mass

c. atomic mass

1. the volume occupied by a mole of any gas at STP

2. the mass of a mole of any element or compound

3. the number of grams of an element that is numerically equal to the atomic mass of the element

in amu


a. representative particle d. percent composition

b. mole e. standard temperature and pressure

c. Avogadro's number f. empirical formula

4. the smallest whole number ratio of the atoms in a compound

5. the number of representative particles of a substance present in 1 mole of that substance

6. the SI unit used to measure amount of substance

7. 0 C and 1 atm

8. an atom, an ion, or a molecule, depending upon the way a substance commonly exists

9.the percent by mass of each element in a compound

Multiple Choice


10. The lowest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound is called the ____.

a. representative formula

b. empirical formula

c. binary formula

d. molecular formula

11. What SI unit is used to measure the number of representative particles in a substance?

a. ampere

b. kilogram

c. mole

d. kelvin

12. Which of the following compounds have the same empirical formula?

a. C H and C H

59

b. C H and C H

c. C H and C H

d. CO and SO

13. The volume of one mole of a substance is 22.4 L at STP for all ____.

a. gases

b. solids

c. compounds

d. liquids

14. If the density of a noble gas is 3.741 g/L at STP, that gas is ____.

a. He

b. Xe

c. Kr

d. Ne

15. The molar mass of a gas can be determined from which of the following?

a. the volume of a mole of the gas

b. Avogadro's number

c. the density of the gas at STP

d. the volume of a the gas at STP

16. Which of the following gases at STP would have the greatest volume?

a. 4.00 mole of He

b. 1.00 mole of O

c. 0.200 mole of SO

d. 5.00 mole of H

17. The molar mass of a substance can be calculated from its density alone, if that substance is

a(n) ____.

a. element

b. solid

c. liquid

d. gas at STP

18. What information is needed to calculate the percent composition of a compound?

a. the formula of the compound and the atomic mass of its elements

b. the weight of the sample to be analyzed and its density

c. the formula of the compound and its density

d. the weight of the sample to be analyzed and its molar volume

19. A 22.4-L sample of which of the following substances, at STP, would contain 6.02 10

representative particles?

a. cesium iodide

b. oxygen

c. gold

d. sulfur

20. Which expression represents the percent by mass of nitrogen in NH4NO3?

60

a. 14 g N/80 g NH NO 100%

b. 28 g N/80 g NH NO 100%

c. 80 g NH NO /28 g N 100%

d. 80 g NH NO /14 g N 100%

21. The mass of a mole of NaCl is the

a. molecular mass.

b. atomic mass.

c. compound mass.

d. molar mass.

22. Which of the following is an empirical formula?

a. C N H

b. Sb4S6

c. Be (Cr O )

d. C H O

Short Answer

23. Avogadro's number of representative particles is equal to one ____.

24. The molar volume of a gas at STP occupies ____.

25. How many moles of silver atoms are in 2.2 10 atoms of silver?

26. How many atoms are in 0.091 mol of titanium?

27. How many molecules are in 3.20 mol CO ?

28. What is the molar mass of AlF3?

29. What is the mass in grams of 7.20 mol C H ?

30. What is the number of moles of beryllium atoms in 42 g of Be?

31. How many moles of CaBr are in 4.0 grams of CaBr ?

32. What is the volume, in liters, of 0.100 mol of C H gas at STP?

33. What is the number of moles in 620 L of He gas at STP?

34. What is the density at STP of the gas sulfur hexafluoride, SF ?

35. If the density of an unknown gas Z is 3.25 g/L at STP, what is the molar mass of gas Z?

61

36. If 120.4 grams of Hg combines completely with 48.0 grams of Br to form a compound,

what is the percent composition of Hg in the compound?

37. What is the percent composition of NiO, if a sample of NiO with a mass of 44.4 g

contains 35.1 g Ni and 9.3 g O?

38. What is the percent composition of carbon, in octane, C8H18?

62

APPENDIX I

CHEMICAL REACTIONS PRE- AND POST-TEST

63

Chemistry: Chapter 8 Test

Multiple Choice


1. In the equation 2Al(s) + 3Fe(NO3)2(aq) 3Fe(s) + 2Al(NO3)3(aq), iron has been replaced by

a. nitrogen. c. nitrate.

b. water. d. aluminum.

2. In a double-replacement reaction, the

a. products are always molecular.

b. reactants are two ionic compounds.

c. products are a new element and a new compound.

d. reactants are two elements.

3. A chemical equation is balanced when the

a. coefficients of the reactants equal the coefficients of the products.

b. subscripts of the reactants equal the subscripts of the products.

c. same number of each kind of atom appears in the reactants and in the products.

d. products and reactants are the same chemicals.

4. In the activity series of metals, which metal(s) will displace hydrogen from an acid?

a. any metal

b. only metals below hydrogen

c. only metals from Li to Na

d. only metals above hydrogen

5. When a binary compound decomposes, what is produced?

a. two elements c. a tertiary compound

b. an oxide d. an acid

6. The reaction represented by the equation Cl2(g) + 2KBr(aq) 2KCl(aq) + Br2(l) is a(n)

____________________ reaction.

a. combustion reaction. c. decomposition reaction.

b. single-displacement reaction. d. synthesis reaction.

7. The replacement of bromine by chlorine in a salt is an example of a single-displacement

reaction by

a. halogens. c. sodium.

b. water. d. electrolysis.

8. To balance a chemical equation, it may be necessary to adjust the

a. formulas of the products. c. number of products.

b. subscripts. d. coefficients.

9. A catalyst is

a. the product of a combustion reaction.

b. a solid product of a reaction.

c. not used up in a reaction.

d. one of the reactants in single-replacement reactions.

64

10. An element in the activity series can replace any element

a. above it on the list. c. in its group.

b. below it on the list. d. in the periodic table.

11. When a solid produced by a chemical reaction separates from the solution it is called

a. the mass of the product. c. a precipitate.

b. a molecule. d. a reactant.

12. In what kind of reaction does a single compound produce two or more simpler substances?

a. synthesis reaction c. ionic reaction

b. decomposition reaction d. single-displacement reaction

13. The reaction represented by the equation 2HgO(s) 2Hg(l) + O2(g) is a(n)

____________________ reaction.

a. single-displacement reaction. c. decomposition reaction.

b. combustion reaction. d. synthesis reaction.

14. In a combustion reaction, one of the reactants is

a. hydrogen.

b. a metal.

c. oxygen.

d. nitrogen.

15. The reaction represented by the equation 2Mg(s) + O2(g) 2MgO(s) is a

____________________ reaction.

a. decomposition reaction. c. single-displacement reaction.

b. double-displacement reaction. d. synthesis reaction.

16. The reaction represented by the equation Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) H2(g) + MgCl2(aq) is a

____________________ reaction.

a. composition reaction. c. decomposition reaction.

b. double-displacement reaction. d. single-displacement reaction.

17. What does the symbol above the arrow in a chemical equation mean?

a. Electricity is need in the reaction.

b. A precipitate will form during the reaction.

c. Heat is supplied to the reaction.

d. A catalyst is needed in the reaction.

18. What can be predicted by using an activity series?

a. the melting points of elements

b. the electronegativity values of elements

c. the amount of energy released by a chemical reaction

d. whether a certain chemical reaction will occur

19. A net ionic equation

a. shows dissolved ionic compounds as dissociated free ions.

b. is not necessarily balanced with respect to mass or charge.

c. shows the spectator ions.

d. shows only those particles involved in the reaction.

65

20. This symbol ( ) indicates that ____.

a. the reaction is reversible

b. heat must be applied

c. an incomplete combustion reaction has occurred

d. a gas is formed by the reaction

21. In every balanced chemical equation, each side of the equation has the same number of ____.

a. molecules

b. coefficients

c. atoms of each element

d. moles

22. The reaction represented by the equation 2KClO3(s) 2KCl(s) + 3O2(g) is a(n)

____________________ reaction.

a. ionic reaction. c. synthesis reaction.

b. combustion reaction. d. decomposition reaction.

23. In order for the reaction 2Al 6HCl 2AlCl 3H to occur, which of the following must

be true?

a. Al must be above Cl on the activity series.

b. Heat must be supplied for the reaction.

c. A precipitate must be formed.

d. Al must be above H on the activity series.

24. Which of the following combinations of symbol and explanation of symbol is correct when

used in a chemical equation?

a. (aq), dissolved in water

b. (g), grams

c. s, solid product

d. (l), liters

25. In writing a chemical equation that produces hydrogen gas, the correct representation of

hydrogen gas is

a. H. c. H2.

b. OH. d. 2H.

26. In what kind of reaction do two or more substances combine to form a new compound?

a. decomposition reaction c. ionic reaction

b. synthesis reaction d. double-displacement reaction

27. In an equation, the symbol for a substance in water solution is followed by

a. (1). c. (g).

b. (aq). d. (s).

28. The products of a combustion reaction include

a. water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

b. hydrogen, water, and carbon dioxide.

c. hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

d. hydrogen and water.

66

29. In the chemical equation H O (aq) H O(l) O (g), the is a ____.

a. reactant

b. catalyst

c. product

d. solid

30. If chlorine gas is produced by halogen replacement, the other halogen in the reaction must be

a. astatine. c. iodine.

b. bromine. d. fluorine.

31. The reaction represented by the equation Pb(NO3)2(aq) + 2KI(aq) PbI2(s) + 2KNO3(aq) is

a ____________________ reaction.

a. combustion reaction. c. synthesis reaction.

b. decomposition reaction. d. double-displacement reaction.

Completion

Complete each statement.

32. In the chemical reaction represented by the equation 2Cr(s) + 3O2(g) 2CrO3(s), two

chromium atoms combine with ____________________ oxygen atoms.

33. In the chemical equation 2AlCl3(aq) + 3Pb(NO3)2 (aq) 3PbCl2(s) + 2Al(NO3)3(aq),

the state of PbCl2 is a(n) ____________________.

Short Answer

34. Balance each of the following equations.

A. Mg H PO Mg (PO ) H

B. Au O Au O

C. Ba H O Ba(OH) H

D. C H O CO H O

E. (NH ) CO NaOH Na CO NH H O

35. Balance the each of the following equations. Indicate whether combustion is complete or

incomplete.

A. C H O CO H O

B. C H OH O CO H O

67

APPENDIX J

STOICHIOMETRY PRE- AND POST-TEST

68

Chemistry Chapter 9 Test (60 points)

Multiple Choice (2 points each)


1. Which of the following is NOT a reason why actual yield is less than theoretical yield?

a. competing side reactions c. impure reactants present

b. loss of product during purification d. conservation of mass

2. Metallic copper is formed when aluminum reacts with copper(II) sulfate. How many grams of

metallic copper can be obtained when 54.0 g of Al react with 319 g of CuSO ?

Al + 3CuSO Al (SO ) + 3Cu

a. 21.2 g c. 127 g

b. 162 g d. 381 g

3. In a chemical reaction, the mass of the products

a. is less than the mass of the reactants. c. is equal to the mass of the reactants.

b. is greater than the mass of the reactants. d. has no relationship to the mass of the

reactants.

4. A balanced chemical equation allows one to determine the

a. mechanism involved in the reaction. c. energy released in the reaction.

b. electron configuration of all elements in

the reaction.

d. mole ratio of any two substances in the

reaction.

5. In the reaction 2CO(g) + O (g) 2CO (g), what is the ratio of moles of oxygen used to

moles of CO produced?

a. 2:2 c. 2:1

b. 1:1 d. 1:2

6. Which type of stoichiometric calculation does not require the use of the molar mass?

a. mass-particle problems c. mass-volume problems

b. mass-mass problems d. volume-volume problems

7. At STP, how many liters of oxygen are required to react completely with 3.6 liters of

hydrogen to form water?

2H (g) + O (g) 2H O(g)

a. 3.6 L c. 1.8 L

b. 2.4 L d. 2.0 L

8. What is the first step in most stoichiometry problems?

a. convert given quantities to masses c. convert given quantities to moles

b. add the coefficients of the reagents d. convert given quantities to volumes

9. In a particular reaction between copper metal and silver nitrate, 12.7 g Cu produced 38.1 g

Ag. What is the percent yield of silver in this reaction?

Cu + 2AgNO Cu(NO ) + 2Ag

a. 176% c. 88.2%

69

b. 56.7% d. 77.3%

10. In the reaction represented by the equation 2Al2O3 4Al + 3O2, what is the mole ratio of

aluminum to oxygen?

a. 3:4 c. 2:3

b. 10:6 d. 4:3

11. The calculation of quantities in chemical equations is called ____.

a. percent composition c. percent yield

b. dimensional analysis d. stoichiometry

12. Iron(III) oxide is formed when iron combines with oxygen in the air. How many grams of Fe

O are formed when 16.7 g of Fe reacts completely with oxygen?

a. 12.0 g c. 95.6 g

b. 47.8 g d. 23.9 g

13. When two substances react to form products, the reactant which is used up is called the

____.

a. excess reagent c. determining reagent

b. limiting reagent d. catalytic reagent

14. Which of the following are conserved in every chemical reaction?

a. moles and liters c. mass and molecules

b. moles and molecules d. mass and atoms

15. Lead nitrate can be decomposed by heating. What is the percent yield of the decomposition

reaction if 9.9 g Pb(NO ) are heated to give 5.5 g of PbO?

2Pb(NO ) (s) 2PbO(s) + 4NO (g) + O (g)

a. 67% c. 82%

b. 56% d. 44%

16. Which of the following is true about limiting and excess reagents?

a. Both reagents are left over after the

reaction is complete.

c. The reactant that has the smallest given

mass is the limiting reagent.

b. A balanced equation is not necessary to

determine which reactant is the limiting

reagent.

d. The amount of product obtained is

determined by the limiting reagent.

17. Which of the following is true about "yield"?

a. The theoretical yield is always the same as

the actual yield.

c. The percent yield may be different from

the theoretical yield because reactions do

not always go to completion.

b. The actual yield may be different from the

theoretical yield because insufficient

limiting reagent was used.

d. The value of the actual yield must be

given in order for the percent yield to be

calculated.

18. Which branch of chemistry deals with the mass relationships of elements in compounds and

the mass relationships among reactants and products in chemical reactions?

a. chemical kinetics c. entropy

70

b. qualitative analysis d. stoichiometry

19. In the reaction represented by the equation N2 + 3H2 2NH3, what is the mole ratio of

nitrogen to ammonia?

a. 2:3 c. 1:1

b. 1:3 d. 1:2

Problem/Short Answer (4 points each)

20. What is the limiting reagent when 150.0 g of nitrogen react with 32.1 g of hydrogen?

N (g) + 3H (g) 2NH (g)

21. Assuming no errors were made in measuring the yield, can the percent yield of a chemical

reaction be greater than 100%?

22. When a mixture of sulfur and metallic silver is heated, silver sulfide is produced. What mass

of silver sulfide is produced from a mixture of 3.0 g Ag and 3.0 g S ?

16Ag(s) + S (s) 8Ag S(s)

Matching (2 points each)


a. actual yield e. limiting reagent

b. percent yield f. mass

c. theoretical yield g. number of molecules

d. excess reagent h. volume

23. the reactant that determines the amount of product that can be formed in a reaction

24. the reactant that is not completely used up in a reaction

25. the ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield

26. the maximum amount of product that could be formed from given amounts of reactants

27. the amount of product formed when a reaction is carried out in the laboratory

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